Plant-to-plant reactive oxygen signal transmission via aCuscutabridge

Abstract

AbstractCuscuta, commonly known as dodder, is a parasitic plant that thrives by attaching itself to the stems of other plants. It is found across the globe and is notorious for obstructing crop growth as a weed. Over the past decade,Cuscutahas been used to gain insights into plant-plant interactions and molecular trafficking. Here, we report that two plants connected via aCuscutabridge can exchange rapid systemic calcium, electric, and reactive oxygen species signals. These findings suggest that plant interactions withCuscutamay have beneficial effects to plants, enabling them to rapidly communicate with each other.